Joe Jonas, Sophie Turner Statement Hints at Who Was 'Suffering' in Marriage

A public relations guru has dissected the statement from Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner announcing they are getting a divorce and told Newsweek the actress should "hold her head high."

Crisis consultant Molly McPherson took to TikTok to pore over the statement posted to Instagram and implied the Game of Thrones actress had been "suffering" in her marriage to the singer.

The couple announced on Wednesday that they would be parting ways after four years of marriage and two children together, Willa, 3, and D.J., 1, but not before rumors circulated their marriage was over.

In particular, a number of stories appeared on gossip sites alleging Jonas was not happy with Turner's alleged partying ways or that she had gone to England for work and he was responsible for looking after their children. Jonas quickly faced backlash over the claims, with people on social media defending Turner's right to work.

"A statement from the two of us. After four wonderful years of marriage we have mutually decided to amicably end our marriage," their statement began.

"There are many speculative narratives as to why but, truly this is a united decision and we sincerely hope that everyone can respect our wishes for privacy for us and our children."

McPherson explained how the joint statement probably "went back and forth" between Jonas' and Turner's individual PR teams before the final draft was agreed upon.

"There are subtle clues in the statement that suggest there is more to it than meets the eye. Choosing words like 'amicably' and 'united' suggests harmony and mutual agreement. However, the emphasis on these types of words can sometimes indicate that things are not so harmonious behind the scenes," McPherson told Newsweek.

"The subtext may be Sophie Turner's frustration with her soon-to-be ex-husband's involvement in the negative stories about her."

She explained celebrities hire PR teams for personal matters that generate internet chatter because they want to maintain control over their reputation as the story circulates."

"Leaving the narrative to social media commentary is too risky. The more cohesive the narrative in the public sphere, the more likely it is to protect their brand image and career prospects," McPherson added.

As for how Turner should deal with a public divorce, McPherson advised she should "maintain the dignity and grace she has shown so far during this public breakdown of her marriage."

"She should focus on her own career and well-being while holding her head high as she co-parents in the limelight. Channeling her energy into projects that allow her to shine as a strong, independent woman would solidify her brand as she navigates her career post-divorce," McPherson explained.

In her viral TikTok, which has had more than two million views, McPherson went into detail with her analysis of the statement.

"I'm going to read the statement, then I'm going to read into the statement, then I'm going to read into how marriages end publicly whether it's a celebrity or in real life that will give you some insight, as to what's really going on there," McPherson began the video, adding: "In other words, who you can help in real life when there's an actual divorce going on."

She then read the couple's Instagram post and explained: "As someone who writes statements like this similar to this for a living, I often can tell when more than one hand is in the pot here."

McPherson explained how one team will "author the statement" and then pass it on to the other party until all are happy with the final product.

"They'll write it with language and using a tone for strategic purposes," she said.

"I'm looking at some of the language, like the word marriage is in here twice, in the first sentence. Whenever I see the word 'amicably' in a statement... it usually indicates it's not so amicable."

She then spoke about the choice of using the term "speculative narratives."

"I can imagine Sophie or someone on the Sophie Turner team saying we need to address all the stories that have been put out there...some wordsmith came up with 'speculative narratives,'" McPherson explained.

"Celebrity divorces are not that much different than real-life divorce. We don't know what happened in this marriage, but if I were to speculate...I think Joe Jonas is the one who's spinning a bit?" she added referring to the PR practice of "spin doctoring," which is an attempt to change a public narrative about an incident or issue.

McPherson said: "There was so many narratives moving around and you notice all of a sudden, there's all this anti-Sophie stuff that's happening there. So that tells me not only are we seeing PR spin but we're actually seeing almost like a mental spin and that's usually the indication, whether it's celebrity or real-life divorce that we can point the finger as to who's causing this.

"Disillusion of marriage doesn't mean that's the person who left, but it could be the person who's caused it."

McPherson advised to "look for the person who is spinning," whether they are talking a lot about their exes or have changed themselves in a big way.

"They have a million stories as to why the marriage ended and all the reasons are blaming the other person. Look for the silent party, and that's the person who needed to get out of the marriage," she said.

"It doesn't mean that they ended it, but it means they're likely the one who were suffering in that marriage, or they're the ones who were putting up with something.

"That's what I find in life and in celebrity and even on the inside when I do this, the people who remain silent and even in my work even if it has nothing to do.

Newsweek contacted Turner and Jonas' representatives for comment.

UPDATE: 09/08/2023, 2:50 p.m. ET. This story was updated to include additional comment from McPherson.